Process control systems, like those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, typically include one or more process controllers and input/output (I/O) devices communicatively coupled to at least one host or operator workstation and to one or more field devices via analog, digital or combined analog/digital buses. The field devices, which may be, for example, valves, valve positioners, switches and transmitters (e.g., temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), perform process control functions within the process such as opening or closing valves and measuring process control parameters. The process controllers receive signals indicative of process measurements made by the field devices, process this information to implement a control routine, and generate control signals that are sent over the buses or other communication lines to the field devices to control the operation of the process. In this manner, the process controllers may execute and coordinate control strategies using the field devices via the buses and/or other communication links.
Process information from the field devices and the controllers may be made available to one or more applications (i.e., software routines, programs, etc.) executed by the operator workstation (e.g., a processor-based system) to enable an operator to perform desired functions with respect to the process, such as viewing the current state of the process (e.g., via a graphical user interface), evaluating the process, modifying the operation of the process (e.g., via a visual object diagram), etc. Many process control systems also include one or more application stations (e.g., workstations). Typically, these application stations are implemented using a personal computer, laptop, or the like that is communicatively coupled to the controllers, operator workstations, and other systems within the process control system via a local area network (LAN). Each application station may include a graphical user interface that displays the process control information including values of process variables, values of quality parameters associated with the process, process fault detection information, and/or process status information.
Typically, displaying process information in the graphical user interface is limited to the display of a value of each process variable associated with the process. Additionally, some process control systems may characterize relationships between some process variables to determine quality metrics associated with the process. However, in cases where a resultant product of the process does not conform to predefined quality control metrics, the process and/or process variables may only be analyzed after the completion of a batch, a process, and/or an assembly of the resulting product. As a result of viewing the process and/or quality variables upon the completion of a process and/or batch, improvements may be implemented to improve the manufacturing and/or the processing of subsequent products. However, these improvements may not remediate the current out-of-spec completed products.